The rate of dependency on garbage disposal units has risen over the years since their invention. They have brought such a tremendous improvement in both personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness.
Garbage disposal units have maintained their design over the years. With a few modern tweaks, they have become one of the essential household items.
What is Garbage Disposal?
A garbage disposal device is an electrically operated gadget fitted to the wastes channel of a kitchen for grinding up food waste. The whole unit is installed under a sink in the kitchen.
John W Hammes invested garbage disposal in 1927, and it has remained reasonably reliable in its design. Still, it has improved in use to the point of being a mandatory feature in almost every kitchen.
This machine is usually used to shred food waste into small pieces. It has proved to be of great help in the kitchen and can only be fixed between the sink’s drain and the trap.
Most people consider going outside to throw out a small amount of food waste as not being worth the trip. This is how bacteria multiply and pose health risks in a kitchen. In some cases, static and exposed organic waste attracts insects.
Using a garbage disposal is an excellent way to keep your kitchen clean and healthy without too much effort. A waste disposal unit is a solution to the headache you might have about discarding kitchen waste.
How Does Garbage Disposal Work?
This device has an electric motor, grinding chamber, and a shredding blade that breaks down food remains into small pieces. It then forces the shredded food particles down the drain through an impeller arm. The garbage disposal is mounted to the underside of a sink and is designed to collect solid food wastes in a grinding chamber.
The garbage disposal is used to grind up food waste and convert it into tiny bits and particles that can easily fit through the drainage system. A lot of misconception exists on how this gadget works and its effectiveness.
A garbage disposal device has no blades. Instead, it uses impellers, which are also called lugs. Waste food particles are forced against the grinding ring by the use of centrifugal force, making the ring tear food particles apart. This way, the food is left almost in the form of a liquid depending on the power of the garbage disposal device.
In continuous feed garbage disposal models, you can feed food waste continuously by putting in more food chunk while the unit is in operation, making you save on time and effort. You just throw in the food waste in the disposal, open the trap and switch the machine on to shred the materials into small particles that can be flushed through the drainage pipe.
What is Garbage Disposal for?
A garbage disposal unit is of great help in the kitchen. It shreds food waste into super minute pieces that will not block the pipes. You can use this device to shred all types of biodegradable wastes. These includes:
- Citrus rids, which can also help in cleaning the disposal device, leaving it smelling fresh.
- Eggshells can also clean and sharpen the disposal blades.
- Fruits like orange, banana, and grapes scraps are all degradable and can freshen the garbage drain.
It is good to note that some fiber ends up being fibrous and too hard on the garbage disposal device such as bones, shrimp shells, banana peels, and nuts.
Grease can also be too hard on garbage disposal since it’s a bit fatty. It may congeal into a big nasty mass that ends up blocking your drainage pipes.
Onion skins and corn husks are fibrous, and they can be hard on the garbage disposal. It is recommended to throw them into compost. Pasta is known to expand in pipes. Thus, it is advisable to dump into compost to avoid clogging the pipes.
When using the garbage disposal, it is advisable always to run cold water. Let the water run for a few seconds after the session ends.
Types of Garbage Disposal
Typically, there are two types of garbage disposal namely batch feed and continuous feed. It is advisable to look under the sink to see the amount of space available for you to install the garbage disposal. Though there are always small food disposals for small spaces, not all models can fit under all sinks.
Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal
The continuous feed disposal device is the most common and the easiest to use. It saves on time and effort since you don’t have to scrape off each crumb of food from every dish. The device has an open mouth, which is turned on and off with a small switch.
In a continuous feed garbage disposal unit, the food waste incinerator continues to run for as long as you want. This can be highly convenient when you are washing your kitchen and want to dispose of leftover food during the cleaning process.
When using a continuous feed garbage disposal, you need to run water as you process and wash away the food scraps. On average, you can use about one gallon of water daily.
Since you can place food scraps into this food disposer as it runs, you should be careful to avoid putting your fingers or hands in it.
>>Recommended Continuous Feed Garbage Disposal – Waste King L-8000<<
- HIGH-SPEED MOTOR: The 1 HP, 2800 RPM (115v) permanent magnet motor is sound-insulated and jams less. Drain Connection Size: 1 1/2 inches
- EASY INSTALLATION AND CLEANING: EZ Mount for a quick and easy kitchen sink installation, removable splashguard for easy cleaning
- 20 YEAR PROTECTION: 20-year Limited
- NO ELECTRICAL EXPERTISE NEEDED: Pre-installed power cord, no electrical work required
- DURABILITY: Compact and lightweight garbage disposer with all stainless steel grind components.
Batch Feed Garbage Disposal
A batch feed garbage disposal is activated by the use of a stopper. This device only runs when the drain opening is closed, and this is referred to as a covered operation. Therefore, you cannot feed additional food scraps while the unit is running. This mode of operation makes the unit safer to use, particularly for children.
A batch feed garbage disposal requires a more robust engine compared to continuous feed food disposers. Therefore, it tends to be a little costlier than continuous feed food disposals.
It also takes more time to grind food using this disposal since it is designed to grind smaller amounts of food waste.
>>Recommended Batch Feed Garbage Disposal – InSinkErator Evolution Cover Control Plus<<
- SoundSeal Technology which delivers ultra-quiet performance versus a standard disposer
- MultiGrind Technology , with two-stage grind to quickly grind virtually any food waste. Average Water Usage - Approx. 1 Gallon Per Person Per Day. Average Electrical Usage - 3-4 KWh Per Year
- 40 oz. Stainless steel grind chamber and grind components for longevity
- 3/4 Horsepower Dura-Drive Induction Motor; power cord not included. Drain Connection-1-1/2 inch Anti-Vibration (Hose Clamp)
- Magnetic CoverStart activation means no wall switch is required. The robust, chrome plated stopper holds back water when needed, and will only turn on the disposer when manually activated
Benefits of a Garbage Disposal
1. Environmentally-friendly – Using a garbage disposal unit is an excellent alternative to composting food scarps or having them disposed of in a landfill. The process of eliminating food waste is simple.
Just throw the leftovers in the garbage disposal, open the tap, turn on the switch, and the machine will shred the leftovers into tiny pieces that quickly pass through pipes.
2. Saves time – A garbage disposal unit makes it easier and faster to dispose of kitchen waste. Since it breaks down the leftover food, it is not necessary to collect the garbage and take it out. Therefore, you can have more time to relax after meals.
3. Less rubbish – You will have less food waste to discard. This will reduce the chores you have to complete. Besides, you will use fewer trash bags since the things to throw out will be fewer.
4. Reduces bad odor – Using a garbage disposal unit makes it unnecessary to leave food waste in a garbage can where it can rot. Therefore, your kitchen will not have foul smells coming from waste food. A motor grinds up the waste food.
5. Fewer cases of pipe leaks – Since a garbage disposal unit grinds up food scraps, the pressure on drainage pipes is minimal. This means that you will not make many calls to plumbers to fix leaking pipes.
What is the Best Garbage Disposal On the Market?
Conclusion
Having a garbage disposal device in your kitchen should is a priority. These devices are popular in homes because of the convenience they offer when it comes to disposing of food scraps. They can help you discard a wide range of food wastes easily to keep your kitchen clean and odor-free.
Today, most modern homes are built with garbage disposal units being fixed to the kitchen sink drain. If you are on the market for a garbage disposal unit, choose the one that is most convenient for you.
Some factors to consider include cost, safety, and the amount of waste you usually discard. It is essential to choose garbage disposal whose motor is powerful enough, is made of a durable material like stainless steel, comes with a warranty, and is suitable for your sewer or septic tank system.
